Heidi Angell is a bibliophile, lexicomaniac, and wordsmith who has published six books. Learn more at www.heidiangell.com

Apr 13, 2016

Book Review: A Raven’s Touch by Linda Bloodworth

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: WARNING:There is a GRAPHIC suicide in this story and there is VIOLENCE. The heroine is going to kill things since she is a demon slayer. Bullied through high school, seventeen-year-old Justice St. Michaels is grateful for the help of her best friend Moira O’Fhey. Their only wish is to graduate high school, leave the sleepy town of Fallingbrook and all that happened behind them. The Heavens have other plans. Between growths on her back and being involved in explosive school fights, nothing seems to make sense. When an unexpected encounter with Darien Raventhorn causes worlds to collide it exposes the truth about Justice’s real identity. To avenge a family death, Justice must embrace her birthright, and slay a demon before all Hell breaks loose.

My Thoughts: First of all, I have to preface this review with the fact that this is the first book by this author and for a first book, it was amazing! I love that she provides the warning at the beginning, because although this is a YA book, I would say it is upper YA/ New Adult. I would not let my 14 year old read this book (yet). This is the first book I have read about angels, though I am a huge Supernatural fan and my brother was obsessed with the Apocrypha and several video games that involved angels, so I am not completely ignorant to the category. This is the first in a series, and I am eager to read the next book.

Now, after all that praise, I do have to nit pick at a few things (because of the writer in me, it just has to be done!) There was a fair amount of punctuation errors in the book, but I can only think of two or three times in which it threw me off and I had to re-read a section to make sure I understood what was intended. I also found the back and forth of Justice’s emotions kind of… off-putting. There just isn’t another way to describe it. I know that she is a teenager, and my 14 year old has that same emotional swing. But she is 17–18 years old. Some of that hormonal shift should be settling down. And the incredibly traumatic events should hold on to her tighter. Or maybe I am (and was, as a teen) too grounded. Everyone agreed I was very mature for my age. Given that no one else who reviewed the book made a comment on this, I have to wonder if it is just me.

How many books make you question if how you see the world is the same as the way others see the world? That, to me, is pretty profound.

Other thoughts: I like Justice, and can sympathize with her struggles in high school. I admire her ability to take the events in stride. Her friend Moira reminds me a lot of my girl Meggers (except for the whole being a witch thing ;) ) and I like where the story is going. Darien isn’t that dreamy to me, but he hasn’t completely skeeved me out like other vampire lovers in fiction. He is a little skeevy, because of this slightly stalker-like quality. However, the story makes it a little less creepy as you follow along.

I was so mad that it ended the way that it did, (in a good way!) and have followed the author on Amazon so that I will know when the next book comes out! Would you like to give the series a go? Grab a copy on Amazon.

Oh, yeah, quick plug! If you have not subscribed to my blog yet, please do! For the month of April, everyone who subscribes is getting a free e-copy of my vampire slayer novel The Hunters as the sequel is coming out this summer!